Tag: sindhi

SINDHI KADHI

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SINDHI KADHI

This famous Kadhi is well known to most non sindhis, having tried it at some point in thier lives. It could be at a school friends home or a colleagues home. Every sindhi family will have thier own recipe for it. Some families add Toor dal to it, some a lot of tomatoes etc. Some Kadhis are pale yellow, some quite brown. All depends on the ingredients.

Todays recipe from my home is quite simple and easy to follow.
We normally make it on mondays.
Add your choice of vegetables, though the common ones are drumsticks, potatoes, carrots, long beans and lady fingers. I also add Sweetcorn as my husband loves it in kadhi.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps of oil
+ 1tsp cumin seeds
+ 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
+1 level tsp Hing.
Then add 2 sprigs of curry leaves.
Add 2 heaped tbsps of Besan
Now saute on low heat till fragrant..and pale golden.( not burnt or overly brown)
Immediately add 1 liter of hot water.

While it comes to a boil, add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chillie powder.

1 big chopped tomato
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 green chillies chopped into thick rings
2 or 3 soaked kokums
Let it simmer.
Add 1 potato..peeled and cut into 8
1 sweet corn…cut into 4 or 6.
1 small carrot…cut into thick batons.
Let simmer..semi covered for 15 to 20 mins.
Now add 1 tbsps grated jaggery or to taste
Salt to taste
And few ladyfingers cut into 2..ends discarded.
And few french beans..cut into 4..
Some drumsticks cut into finger size .( I did not get today , so omited.)
Simmer till kadhi is thick .
Add chopped corriander leaves..

Serve with white rice, sweet boondhi, and aloo tuk.

Note.. thumb rule for kadhi.
It should be balanced.
Sweet, sour, spicy.

So taste as its being cooked.
Sometimes I add tamarind paste to the kadhi..if kokums are not available. Adding tamarind makes the kadhi more dark.

A good kadhi takes about 40 mins to cook..
There will be a awesome fragrance.

Be prepared for a good afternoon nap after having kadhi chawal😊

Left over kadhi tastes better the next day..
Kadhi thickens on being kept..add some hot water when reheating. And re check seasoning



Sindhi Phote Bhugi Turi/Ridge Gourd in Cardamom

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PHOTE BHUGI TURI/ CARDAMON TURIYA

Sometimes, a simple cooked subji is all that is needed to satisfy us.
Today was one of those days, when I was craving for my Indian food. As normally we have indonesian food for lunch.😊
Made turiya sabji as we sindhis make it.
Using only cardamom and shah jeeri for flavouring. Sprinkle a bit of black pepper powder on top. And relish it with a hot chappati.

250 gms chopped turiya.( after peeling)
1 small onion finely chopped.
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp shah jeera
1/2 tsp freshly ground elaichi powder.
Salt to taste.
Black pepper powder .
Corriander leaves

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and cook till translucent.
Add the shah jeeri and elaichi powder.

Add the turiya and grated ginger.

Cook and mash with the back of spoon till it comes together.

Add salt to taste.

Sprinkle black pepper powder and corriander leaves.

Done.

Takes around 10 mins to make this small amount. Good for 2 people.

AUR JI BHAJI..SINDHI STYLE.

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Aur ji Bhaji ( sindhi style)

This recipe , is of  a delicious stew made sindhi style. A  very very simple and easy recipe.
Today I was craving this, so made it. Aur( rai, mustard seeds ) imparts a very good flavour to this dish , hence the name. Feel free to use any vegetables in this preparation. Though I like using the basic, potato, carrot, french beans, whole shallots and wadi. Here I would like to point out that we don’t get wadi in Jakarta,  and though I can bring them from India, am not really fond of the dry wadis. So since years I have been  making fresh moong dal  kachoris and adding  to the stew at the last moment just before serving.
Now about Authentic recipes. Normally an AUR JI bhaji, will be differently cooked in different houses, there are sindhis who don’t use any tomatoes in the preparation and there are some like me who grew up eating this dish based on a tomato gravy. Have tried making both ways and both ways are delicious. So I cannot really say which of the 2 is authentic. 
Today I will share the tomato based aur ji bhaji.
You can serve this with rice or with phulkas. I love eating this with chapati torn in pieces and added to a bowl of aur ji bhaji..yummm.

Soak 1/4 cup dhuli hui moong dal for 2 hours, drain and grind with minimum water, add a piece of ginger and 1 green chillie while grinding. Season with salt. Mix  well.

Fry teaspoons of the mixture to get about 16 fresh wadi/ kachori.Keep aside.

Blanch 2 tomatoes, discard the skin.
Put in a mixer jar along with one roughly cut tomato.and a small piece of ginger.
Grind and strain the juice. Discard seeds.

Put tomato puree in a sauce pan, add about 3 cups of water, and vegetables.
1 carrot cut into batons
1 peeled and cut potato
About 15 peeled shallots
4 french beans(  cut each into 3 or 4)
Bring to a rolling boil.
Add 1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste.
Once vegetables are tender, add a slurry of wheatflour.  Till the gravy is thick.
( 1 used about 1.5 tbsps in 1/2 cup of water).
Add freshly cut corriander leaves and let simmer while we make the tadka.

Heat 2.5 tbsps of oil in a small pan
Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing
2 sprigs of tender curry leaves
1.5  heaped tbsp of finely minced garlic

Saute till fragrant, add to simmering gravy. Done.

To serve..
Add few kachoris in a bowl and pour hot gravy over them. Enjoy

Sindhi fish kok

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Sindhi style machi/fish kok

Maachi kok or fish kok, is a sindhi style of cooking fish. Normally only HILSA/ ILISH fish is cooked in this way… we sindhis call Hilsa as PALLO. Here in jakarta its difficult to get pallo aka hilsa. And frankly I prefer using boneless fish fillets with skin on. . As pallo has too many fine  bones. But its a easy recipe. .Do try this and have it with khichdi rice or sindhi phulko( chapati). Its a tangy and spicy dish which does not take long to make. I  have also made Paneer using the same recipe. KOK over here means uncooked onion tomato marination. Cooked while pan steaming.
Long before Partition,  buying Pallo fish was an elaborate affair, and the River Indus in Sindh gave a huge bounty of  these fish , especially during the monsoons. Our men  ancestors would buy pallo on sundays and this was cooked by the womenfolk , mostly for lunch only, to be enjoyed leisurely.
I have seen my mom preparing this kok pallo on many a sundays, for my grandparents or when we had special guests. She would cook this on a special tawa we had ( before the advent of  non stick pans).
On a sigdi( coal flame).
Just before serving she would heat up some brandy in a deep  hot metal  spoon,  flambe it, and pour over the fish..😊( mind you, this was for special guests).
My mom cooked andaz se, is a vegetarian but she could cook super tasty non veg.

200 gms Carp fillet ( Gurame)with skin or any other river fish. Gurame is a fresh water fish.
( I tried using red snapper, which is a salt water fish, but sadly it became too dry.)
Lightly salt it and keep aside for few mins, rinse and pat dry.

In a bowl, add
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 red tomato finely chopped
1 or 2 chopped green chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger.
1 tsp corriander seed powder
1/4 tsp Amchoor
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chillie powder
Salt to taste…I used 1 tsp.
2 tbsps yogurt.

Mix this together using your hand, giving the ingredients a good massage. ( can use gloves)
Lastly add about 1/4 cup finely chopped corriander leaves.
Keep aside.

Back to the fish.
Heat 2 to 3 tbsps of oil in a non stick pan.
Slip in the fish, skin side down
Cook on both sides till 50 percent done.
Remove in a plate and apply the masala generously on the white part.

Slip the fish back in, skin side down.
Cover and cook on low heat for 10 mins.
The steam will cook the masala and fish.

Done. Sprinkle corriander leaves.

Serve hot.

This same masala can be used for making Paneer kok.
Shared some photos in comments section.

Paneer kok

Sindhi fote bhugi khichdi with fusion potato sabji.

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Sometimes the simplest of food can bring such comfort. For me, my comfort soul food is sindhi fote bhugi khichdi, accompanied by a potato sabji, crispy brinjal or karela and a piece of fried fish. Being a Sindhi, I have grown up  eating delicious simple food cooked by my mom. Sindhi food is really simple and easy to put together.
When I got married,  every sunday our food was FOTE BHUGI KHICHDI( khichdi cooked with cardamom)  methi patata, dahi and fryums.. it was  the family sunday meal. Over time I changed the methi aloo to a fusion aloo sabji( aka malaysian and Bengali fusion).  Now its  cooked twice a month😊But its a meal I look forward to . Please do try this combination.

2 cups rice
1/2 cup split green moong dal( with skin)
2 tsps freshly ground elaichi powder
2 tsps shah jeeri
2 tsps salt
2 to 3 tbsps oil

Mix the dal and rice , wash well and soak for an hour.
Drain out the water.
Heat a pan, add oil, jeeri and elaichi powder . Once fragrant, add the rice and dal mix.  Saute for few mins, Add salt and enough water to cook the khichdi. We want each grain seperate. Not a mushy khichdi.
Done.
Ps…I cook the khichdi with enough water to cover, once water dries up I shift the rice to a steamer. And steam cook for 20 mins.

Aloo sabji
3 boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
1 small  onion sliced
1 small onion chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes..finely chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic.
1/2 tbsp paanch phoran( mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, onion seeds, saunf).
1 sprigs..about 10 curry leaves.
2 heaped tsps curry powder( I used malaysian baba brand)
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste
Corriander ..finely chopped.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps mustard oil in a pan, add panch phoran, followed by curry leaves.
Now add minced garlic and ginger., saute. Add the diced onions and saute till onions become translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, curry powder, salt, red chillie powder  and mix well. Add the cubed potatoes and sliced onion. Mix and finally add corriander leaves. Done.

For the fish, I took one boneless fillet of  snapper.  Marinated in turmeric and salt, gave a lime rub and shallow fried in oil.

Remove and sprinkle generously with red chillie powder, corriander seed powder, amchoor.
This is a typlcal Sindhi  sprinkle mix for fried fish or  fried arbi.

Sindhi Phote(cardamom) Bhugi Khichdi with fusion Potato Sabji

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Sometimes the simplest of food can bring such comfort. For me, my comfort soul food is sindhi fote bhugi khichdi, accompanied by a potato sabji, crispy brinjal or karela and a piece of fried fish. Being a Sindhi, I have grown up  eating delicious simple food cooked by my mom. Sindhi food is really simple and easy to put together.
When I got married,  every sunday our food was FOTE BHUGI KHICHDI( khichdi cooked with cardamom)  methi patata, dahi and fryums.. it was  the family sunday meal. Over time I changed the methi aloo to a fusion aloo sabji( aka malaysian and Bengali fusion).  Now its  cooked twice a month😊But its a meal I look forward to . Please do try this combination. SOULFOOD FROM MY HOME TO YOURS.

2 cups rice
1/2 cup split green moong dal( with skin)
2 tsps freshly ground elaichi powder
2 tsps shah jeeri
2 tsps salt
2 to 3 tbsps oil

Mix the dal and rice , wash well and soak for an hour.
Drain out the water.
Heat a pan, add oil, jeeri and elaichi powder . Once fragrant, add the rice and dal mix.  Saute for few mins, Add salt and enough water to cook the khichdi. We want each grain seperate. Not a mushy khichdi.
Done.
Ps…I cook the khichdi with enough water to cover, once water dries up I shift the rice to a steamer. And steam cook for 20 mins.

Aloo sabji
3 boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
1 small  onion sliced
1 small onion chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes..finely chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic.
1/2 tbsp paanch phoran( mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, onion seeds, saunf).
1 sprigs..about 10 curry leaves.
2 heaped tsps curry powder( I used malaysian baba brand)
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste
Corriander ..finely chopped.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps mustard oil in a pan, add panch phoran, followed by curry leaves.
Now add minced garlic and ginger., saute. Add the diced onions and saute till onions become translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, curry powder, salt, red chillie powder  and mix well. Add the cubed potatoes and sliced onion. Mix and finally add corriander leaves. Done.

For the fish, I took one boneless fillet of  snapper.  Marinated in turmeric and salt, gave a lime rub and shallow fried in oil.

Remove and sprinkle generously with red chillie powder, corriander seed powder, amchoor.
This is a typlcal Sindhi  sprinkle mix for fried fish or  fried arbi.

SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN / CARDAMOM CHICKEN.

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SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN.

Today’s recipe is SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN, cardamon/Elaichi chicken.
After someone asked me for an authentic sindhi recipe for phote bhuga TEEVARN( mutton), I went straight to the source of my sindhi recipes, MY MOTHER. While I was on a short trip to India. Sadly Mom’s health has detoriated as well as her memory. But she immediately could recall this recipe, and told me. In fact I asked her if we could add tomatoes, she said not at all.😊 so this recipe is more like a stew with a strong cardamon flavour and peppery undertones.A very light on the tummy dish.

Memories of my mom making this super fragrant dish( phote bugo teevarn) on sundays for my grandparents are so clear. My mom is a masterchef of sindhi delicacies, but sadly cannot cook any longer at the grand age of 90. But I am so thankful to have learnt most of my sindhi cooking from her.

Pls try it and have this accompanied by parathas and tawa toasted bread. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it so special.
The last time I made it was years ago for my mother in law , but with mushrooms. ( vegetarians please note).

500 gms chicken with bone( 6 good size pieces) make slashes on the chicken.
2 tsps of freshly ground cardamon with skin
4 to 5 whole cardamons..lightly bashed.
2 tsps freshly ground black pepper.
1 tsp shah jeera
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
1/4 tsp garam masala
1.5 tsps salt.
3 cups water.
Finely cut corriander leaves with stems.
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps Wheat flour mixed with 1/2 cup cold water.
( DO NOT USE CORNFLOUR).
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add the shah jeera, whole cardamons and the powdered cardamom. After a few seconds add the chicken and start sauting for at least 10 mins. The cardamom will start sticking to the chicken, keep going. Now add the corriander leaves, black pepper powder, turmeric and salt, mix for another 5 mins. The combined flavours of corriander, pepper and cardamom are amazing. Add the water and close lid. After 3 whistles, shut the flame and let the cooker cool down.
Open the lid and bring the chicken to a boil. Add the wheat flour slurry and simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot, sprinkled with black pepper and corriander.
Serve with parathas, and tawa toasted bread.or pao.

Sindhi Chicken/ lotus stem

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The recipe which I will share today is usually the base for sindhi pawa(trotters, or paya) but I cook my mutton or chicken,or Lotus stem( beeh) using this recipe of my mother, its easy enough to follow..( had shared the mutton version of this long back in a post on this blog)

SINDHI CHICKEN
1 whole chicken cut into 8 or 10 pieces.
3 big onions, cut fine
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tomatoes boiled and pureed.
2 tbsps ginger garlic paste.
1 tsp shah jeeri
3 tsps red chillie powder( or to taste)
1 tsp haldi powder.
2 tsps dhania powder.
2 tsps home made garam masala( shared recipe previously.)
Salt about 2 tsps.

Take a square piece of muslin cloth, about the size of a man’s handkerchief and put these spices onto it

1 tsp cummin seeds
1 pc of cinnamon ( about an inch long) a 2 small dried bay leaves
4 cloves
12 black peppercorns 
4 green cardamoms
4 small shallots and 4 cloves of garlic
and a small piece of ginger
2 tbsps raw rice and 1 tbsp raw chana dal
Tie this into a secure potli and make a bouquet garni, put this packet of spices into a pressure cooker, add chicken into the cooker, add sufficient water and close the lid, cook for about 2 or 3 whistles on medium flame. Once pressure is released from the cooker,  Remove the bouquet garni, open it gently, and put the spices into a mixer and blend using about one cup of water, strain this thick spice water and keep aside. ( DISCARD CINNAMON STICK AND BAY LEAVES)

Now take a pot, add about 4 to 5 tbsps of oil, and add 3 finely chopped onions. saute until onions turn pale golden in colour.

Add shah jeeri or caraways seeds to the onions
Add 2 tbsps of ginger garlic paste and continue to saute.
Now add 2 sliced tomatoes and puree of 2 boiled tomatoes

Continue to saute till every thing comes together and then add dry spices like turmeric, red chillie powder, corriander powder and lastly the king of all masalas …garam masala., season with salt.

Now is the time to add the boiled chicken  together with the stock. mix well and let it cook covered for 10 mins, then add the strained spice mixture little by little. Cover once again and simmer till your kitchen is engulfed with the fragrance…abt 15 mins on a low flame, adjust the thickness of the gravy , it should be semi thick and slightly sticky due to the starch in the rice. The chicken literally falls of the bones…

** Tip, Its better to pressure cook the chicken a day before, if possible. Keep the stock, bouquet garni, and water from boiled chicken in the fridge, next day you will see that the stock has turned into jelly. It gives awesome flavours..then you can grind the spices in the bouquet garni. BUT, if time does not permit, then go ahead and cook directly.

Finally add lots of chopped corriander leaves , stir and serve hot with phulkas or bread slices( we prefer pao or bread buns, to soak up the gravy)… and some sindhi kechumbo .

Kechumbo

Rub some salt onto 2 sliced onions, and leave for 5 mins, then wash under running water, squeeze the water out and put the onions in a bowl . now add 2 sliced green chillies , 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vinegar. mix well and refrigerate.( I  even add grated raw beetroot and grated carrot to my kechumbo)

FOR VEGETARIANS I WOULD SUGGEST MAKING LOTUS STEM AND POTATOES,OR MUSHROOMS. USING THE SAME ABOVE METHOD.

Mitho lolo ( sweet flat bread ) and mirchaan ji bhaaji( chilli sabji)

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MITHO LOLO
Those familiar with sindhi cuisine would know about koki or loli as we call it, the top comfort level breakfast for any sindhi😊, paired with yogurt and papad. In my home its a sunday breakfast.

Mitho lolo, is the sweet version of loli.
Mostly made on certain festivals like Satai or Thadri as its known. Food is generally cooked a day prior to Thadri, and eaten cold the next day, items which keep well are pakoras, puris, seeras, and rice which is mixed with yogurt, and mustard powder. No fire is lit to cook on Thadri.
Ladies go thier parents homes and just enjoy for the day. This year it falls on 29th August.
My late mother in law would make make mitho lolo’s every Thadri, she would make the dough patiently, rolling out the lolas and send them to the kitchen, where I had to roast them on the tawa at a very low heat..
patience 😊is the key to make good lolas.
I rarely make lolas nowadays, bcoz there are some home chefs who sell them in jakarta. I tried making them this year and they were quite good. We pair mitho lolo with a chillie sabji. Sharing both recipes today. Do try the recipe. Thank you.

Mitho lolo
250 gms whole wheat atta
6 tbsps of oil
125gms grated jaggery
2 tbsps powdered sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder.
Extra 1 cup oil for dipping.

In a bowl add grated jaggery, sugar and about 4 tbsps of hot water. Mix well till jaggery disolves.

Prepare a deep plate with about one cup of oil in it to dip the lolas.keep aside

In a big bowl or plate, put the flour( atta)
And add the oil, add 5 tbsps first and mix with finger tips. If you can gather the flour in your hands like a ball, that means oil is enough otherwise add 1 tbsp more. Add the cardamon powder and liquid jaggery, and knead gently. Try your best not to add any water. I needed to add 1 tbsp. The dough shd be tight. We need to use the dough Immediately, to avoid gluten formation, which will make the lola soft. The lola should have a crisp bite to it, and be just a little soft inside.Now divide the dough into about 5 balls, cover with a wet napkin, take one ball and smoothen it on the rolling board. Roll out to about 1 cm thick, plus minus. Prick all over with a fork. Roast on a preheated tawa on a very low heat, gently press with a wooden chapati press or napkin. Brush with very little oil, When both sides are golden brown remove onto the oil filled plate, soak for just a minute and drain.
Stack in a plate. Lolas have a long shelf life, if you store them well. In airtight boxes.

you can add cut nuts while rolling out the lolas. We like them plain.

Mirchaan ji bhaji
( chillie sabji)

250 gms green chillies( I used the thick variety)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp hing
1.5 tbsps besan
2 tbsps grated jaggery
2 tbsps tamarind pulp
Salt to taste.
Wash and cut the green chillies into 3 to 4 pcs..

Heat about 4 to 5 tbsps oil in a pan, add cut chillies, and saute till the chillies turn white. Drain and reserve the oil.
Take the chillie oil in a cooker and add
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.
Next add the besan and saute till fragrant, add turmeric powder.
Next add chillies and half cup of water.
Close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
Open the lid and cook till water almost dries up, at the same time mashing the chillies with a wooden whisk.
Finally add jaggery, tamarind and salt.
You shd be able to balance all the flavours here. Done.

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

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The dal sandwich

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

This Sindhi Speciality, usually sold in carts in Ulhasnagar area, is a grilled vegetable sandwich using raw vegetables and boiled potatoes…Boiled moong dal is usually poured over it and garnished with chutneys, and some sev. A complete meal on its own, and very low on oil usage.  There are many variations for the filling, but I prefer incorporating raw vegs along with boiled potatoes.Do try it out.

A sandwich, when we were children, meant either chutney with sliced tomatoes or a boiled potato toaster, which I loved. My mother would put lots of chillie, onion, kotmir and some dry masalas in boiled mashed potato, make a sandwich and toast it using a stove top hand held toaster, not forgetting the liberal use oil used to make it crisp. We happily ate those along with tomato sauce. Never once asking… where is the protein in this meal?😁😁

Ingredients and method for dal
1 cup of yellow moong dal
( soaked for 4 hours, and boiled with 1 tbsp of crushed garlic and salt)
Boil till soft and mushy, don’t mash it up too much, leave a little bite to it.
Adjust consistency. We want it easily pourable. Not too thin nor thick
Keep aside.
Ingredients  for Sandwich
6 slices of bread
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded raw beetroot
1/2 cup finely sliced green paprika( capsicum)
Tomato slices
2 boiled  potatoes.. peeled and sliced.
Some chaat masala.

Mix cabbage, carrot, beetroot and paprika.
Onto a bread slice place tomato slices and top with the raw shredded vegetables, lastly place boiled potato slices , sprinkle chaat masala and cover with another slice of bread.
Grill the sandwich with oil or butter applied.
I grilled on a stove top with a heavy cover, brushing oil to get it crisp.

Other ingredients
Green chutney
Khatti meethi tamarind chutney
Chaat masala, red chilli powder
And some sev and corriander leaves.

Assembling
Cut a grilled sandwich into half
Place on a plate
Pour HOT dal on it.
Top with green chutney, tamarind chutney, dry masala and sev.
Enyoy your wholesome meal

* make it at serving time. Eat immediately.